ADVENT WEEK 2 DEVOTIONAL
One of the themes of Advent is 'hope'. In this devotional, I share what Christian hope looks like and how we can put it into practice. Click here to watch the video....
Keep ReadingI Was a Stranger and You Invited Me In
At the ACC after-school tutoring program a few weeks ago Pastor David casually mentioned to me that he and Sobeyda were going to be hosting a refugee family from El Salvador. My heart jumped with excitement...what an opportunity for ACC to show the love of God! I also was encouraged by their willingness to share their living space with strangers, knowing they give so much already as a Pastor and Counselor. The next day Carolina and her almost 11 year old son Onandy arrived....
21 Ways to Pray on Election Day
Thank God for allowing us to live in a democracy, where the people have a say in the selection of their leaders. Praise God for his mercy and generosity to our nation over the last 244 years. Praise God that we have been able to proceed with the election in spite of the pandemic. Ask forgiveness for bitter thoughts you have harbored and unkind words you have spo...
Keep ReadingSpiritual Warfare and Prayer
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powersof this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." (Eph. 6:12, 18b) According to the Bible, there is a battle being waged in a realm we canno...
Keep ReadingEXTRA-ORDINARY WORSHIP
Among the many areas of life disrupted by the COVID pandemic are the worship practices of Christians throughout the world. Believers have been forced to worship God in ways that feel unnatural to us. For months, we have sat in front of computer screens, following a service from home. Now, as congregations begin to gather again, we find that worship is still not what we wou...
Keep ReadingSix Reasons Not to Worry
Matthew 6:25-43 is probably the most well-known passage of the Bible that deals with the problem of anxiety. In these verses, Jesus gives us six reasons not to worry 1) Worry obscures what is most important in life. People tend to worry most over temporal issues finances, deadlines, the opinions of others. Stressing ourselves out over these things can make us forget mat...
Keep ReadingSecret But Not Unseen
If a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? So goes the age-old metaphysical question. Does the occurrence of an event depend on it being perceived? I will leave it to philosophers to answer that one. But what I do know is that, when it comes to acts of kindness toward others or devotion toward God, no acts are unobserved. In...
Keep ReadingVacation Bible Club Recap - 2017
We walked into Dutch Kills playground that first day not knowing if any kids and parents would join us. We left Friday evening knowing that 170 children and many parents/adults heard the Good News of the saving work of Jesus Christ! Each evening we sang songs, listened to a Biblical Character share the Gospel, helped anywhere from 40-75 kids make a craft related to the mes...
Keep ReadingWhy I Volunteer
There is something about the prospect of volunteering that can be intimidating. It's a commitment, yes, yet also an infringement. Here I am, whoever and whatever I am, going to you, whoever and whatever you are, and deciding to share. I will share myself, and you, perhaps unaware of the connection that this transaction entails, will receive, willingly or unwillingly. Yet...
Keep ReadingThy Kingdom, Thy Will
The second and third petitions of the Lord's Prayer are "Thy kingdom come" and "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." What does it mean to pray for the coming of God's Kingdom? We are essentially praying three things: that the Father would send the kingdom of glory (that Jesus would return); that he would crush the kingdom of darkness (putting an end to the lies ...
Keep ReadingI Was a Stranger and You Invited Me In
At the ACC after-school tutoring program a few weeks ago Pastor David casually mentioned to me that he and Sobeyda were going to be hosting a refugee family from El Salvador. My heart jumped with excitement...what an opportunity for ACC to show the love of God! I also was encouraged by their willingness to share their living space with strangers, knowing they give so much ...
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